(okay, so it's now 2014, but this was all well and done before the first of january )

This round of Featured Artist, We are featuring P_E_S_T!! A member since Dec 30 2012, she's won us over with so many of her beautiful creations over the year.

Of course, I asked her a few questions. Here they are1.Tell me a bit about yourselfNow, never ask a Psychotherapist that - we will go into all sorts of inappropriate depths - Me. Well, Im a psychotherapist by day alongside being mum to Kayden - 8, Ebbon 6 and a soul mother to Helene (she came to live with us 2 years ago) 20. I think the way that I craft says a lot about who I am; Firstly, I love to re-cycle - digging deep into things that have a history is not only part of my day time job but also weaves its way into my pieces. When I craft, Im not a perfectionist by any means - I like to let my hands and what ever Im working with, play together and conjur up all sorts of things. I never know what will happen until right at the last minute, then my brain kicks in and I can start to shape the piece. In life, I tend very much to "be in the moment" allowing the days to shape themselves with me carving my own needs into the day when it is possible. Here's a few fun facts to make you all smile.....I attend a weaving group but never ever weave - I cannot bear it ! I once got my bosoms stuck to a telephone box I have sung in 6 musicalsI drove the British Rugby team around in a mini busMy husband is my heroMy sons first trip to the hospital was to get a felting needle removed from his foot (serious mother guilt for many years) Last week whilst walking to my studio to work, my skirt fell down around my ankles leaving me groping down with knickered bum up facing my new client !!!!

2. Where do you draw inspiration?I love texture - you will find me mainly strutting up and down the clothing sections at charity shops (thrift stores) locating jumpers that I can shrink, kids clothes that I can cut apart, jeans that I can upcycle- or my latest whim, old lacey doilies and table cloths that I can felt around. As I said before, I don't really have a plan before I set to making something - I love pieces that happen all by themselves. My Book hugs for example, who knew that those doilies would pucker up and make almost anemone like shapes ! And the sea glass / felt bowls - who would have known that super glue would create those lovely frosted window frames

3. What made you get into felting?oooooo now there's a question. Both my children go to a waldorf steiner school. And as any waldorf parent will tell you, there's often a need (especially in the early years) to fill ones house with as many felted fae folk as possible ! Being that most pieces are quite expensive, I decided to learn. The first felting course I went on was a needle felting workshop with a wonderful lady. Though I learnt a lot, her perfection did not fit with the relaxed side of me. So I sat and played, trusting that I would work a way to do it. I think I now have a "Jolene" trademark, to all my pieces - warm, textured and fairly free flowing. To be honest, its only in the past three years that I have experimented more with wet felting, - taking the craft away from just making things for the children and into creating usable fabric. Beginning with my waistcoat (which I am currently wearing) Also 2 years ago, a lovely friend of mine who attends a craft group I attend - welcomed me to her home to have some fleece, can you believe she lives in an actual windmill )))) And so I also now get to dye up my own fleece which is perfect for needle felting

4 Do you have a favourite project you posted to Craftster?Gosh that's such a tricky question because each piece I love for different reasons - our projects are like our children don't you think Huh You create them then send them out into the world all with their unique personalities. hmmmm So, I love the felted folk I made for FoxyBlue as a private swap - they were my launching into the craftster world. I love my recent dragon, and I think Ratfinks would kill me if I didn't say it was one of my fave pieces. I also have got a new project Im working on (which Ratfinks got the prototype for) which will be a tutorial for a travelling felting kit - but you will all have to wait a little longer for that. ooooo and then, there's my sons felted jumper throw in the shape of a windmill. He really was a massive windmill fan for a good 4 years and still cuddles up under this blanket now.

5. Do you have a favourite project posted by another Craftster?Gosh !!! How on earth do you pick one !!!! Anything polymer related really gets me ticking - I just cannot cannot do anything with polymer or fimo - its just too darn fiddly. I love looking at all the tutorials and recently managed to make a poppet - so thankyou. Oh and then there was the upcycled tie school bag, which I have made sooo many of. Do you know what, its not the individual projects that get me fired up - its the joy of sitting down and cycling through all the galleries of swaps, seeing people connect and create for each other. What an amazing group of people we are !

6. If you were trapped on a deserted island, and could wish for one thing, (and asking to get off was not allowed) what would you wish for? Ha - when I first read this, I knew what I wanted immediately but when I voiced it out loud to my dinner table this evening (which was surrounded by 13 hungry people as is a normal Sunday in this house), I was told I should wish for something sensible like food or a boat or a genie. Nope - for number 1 if I was trapped on a deserted Island it would be because I would want to be there. So It would be a toss up between a computer so I could interact with the world (Im not great on my own for too long) Orrrr a lifetime supply of yarn and I would yarn bomb all the trees until I lived on a rainbow island

7. And one more fun question! If you could tell your younger self something, what would it be?Awww, you know - one doesn't become a psychotherapist because your childhood was all sunshine and roses - and there were times when it was pretty terrible. I had a really good friend Tim, we would sit on the school bench and hold little fingers and he would say "This will all be worth something in the end". - Now if I could tell my younger self something, I would go stand over the two of them (little me and Tim) and I would say "This right here right now - friendship - is the most important thing you will ever have"Awwwwwww you got me all emotional now

Thanks for answering my question, P_E_S_T! I hope you all enjoyed reading (and looking at all the pictures). I leave you with cake. Cake that P_E_S_T made. Doesn't it look delicious?

P.S.You have no idea how difficult it was to narrow it down to just a few pictures. Check out all the images she's posted!

LATEST project - I'm compiling a "handed down" recipes boom and so if I get you in a swap, would you be so kind to find a recipe from your childhood. type it up - if you want to decorate, then please do :